CEO of Leading Ergonomic Product Design Firm Metaphase, Writes Feature for Medical Design Magazine

July 7, 2011 - PRLog -- ST. LOUIS, MO – What is world-class design? Metaphase Design Group, Inc.’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Bryce Rutter, recently wrote an article, ‘World-Class Ergonomic Design: The Intersection of Design, Ergonomics, and Economics,’ which addresses this complex question. His article was featured in the June 2011 issue of Medical Design Magazine.

According to Dr. Rutter – a leading expert in design innovation and medical product design – when it comes to world-class design, it’s not enough to bring to market state-of-the-art medical innovations if these designs don’t account for how users think, feel, behave and respond. In other words, if the design lacks attention to ergonomics, the product may cause users to make errors that impact patient outcomes, and negatively impact a company’s balance sheet and brand integrity. Ergonomics is not something you sprinkle on a design in the conceptual phase of development, but rather, it’s a way of thinking and frames a development strategy that is founded on the human factor – User-Centered Innovation Strategy. It’s this strategy that leads to world-class designs.

Dr. Rutter also outlines the differences between world-class design and everyday design. With world-class design, there is a higher level of fidelity between the product and the user. It provides seamless extensions of our bodies, allows us to execute tasks more adroitly, and brings emotional content to the consumer product experience that consciously and unconsciously delivers a higher level of value to the user. World-class design builds unprecedented customer loyalty, clearly establishes a company’s leadership position, and defines the integrity of the brand. As a result, companies enjoy category leadership and can focus their attention and financial horsepower on continued innovation.

Dr. Rutter’s article provides further insight into several other areas of world-class design, including the role of ergonomics, a user-centered innovation strategy, user error versus use error, the complete user experience, and product and brand integrity.
To read Dr. Rutter’s article, ‘World-Class Ergonomic Design: The Intersection of Design, Ergonomics, and Economics,’ click on the following link: http://medicaldesign.com/engineering-prototyping/research....

About Metaphase Design Group, Inc.
Metaphase Design Group is a world leader specializing in the research, ergonomics & design of products and packaging, and in particular is renowned for its expert knowledge in ergonomic design and the design of products that interact with the human hand. Starting with advanced design research techniques, the company creates meaningful insights into how users interact with products using the applied sciences of ethnography, anthropology,  kinesiology, psychophysics, physical and cognitive ergonomics and design. Metaphase has created new product categories, redefined the industry standard and driven profits from consumer and professional medical devices, drug delivery systems and disposables, to instruments and tools, to mobile digital products and personal care products, through to food and beverage packaging. The company has received numerous international awards for both research and design.

For more information:

Gina McGirr
(314) 721-0700 ext. 121
gina@metaphase.com
http://www.metaphase.com